Plahoqraph co



F. A. LYON.

- DRAFT EQUALIZER.

APPLICATLON FILED FEB. 11. 1918.

1,308,525. Patented July 1, 1919.

- llllll WITNESS Tm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE- rnnNK amen, or MILFORD, masses.

1 nnAr -Eouiimznn.

To all wkomz't may concern." I I I Be it known that I, FRANK A. LYoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Milford, in the county of Otsego, and the State of New York, have following is a specification. I j I y present invention relates to a whiflietree and more particularly toa whilfletree adapted for use with three horse teams, with spaced positions to the said cross bar and extending beyond the edges of the same on both sides thereof, a connection from the central U-shaped strap. to the vehicle or P otally connecting the U-shaped straps so or move in unison and other load to be hauled, and means for that they will swing remain parallel to one another in all positions, as well as devices for connectionwith.

the traces forming part of the harnessby which the animals employed draw the vehi be hauled, as willfbe cle or other load to hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawing; I Figure l is a plan View of my improved whiflletree showing diagrammatically the animals as well as aportionofga veliicl e. Fig. 2 1s an enlarged long tudinal section of the central U-shaped strap and parts associated therewith, and i Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 illustrating one of the outer U-shaped straps.

Referring particularly to the drawing it will be seen that in carrying out this invention I employ a cross bar 10 which may be made of wood or any other suitable material.

Centrally in the opposite faces ofthis cross bar metal plates are preferably set. The top plate is indicated at 11 and the bottom plate at 12, and these'plates are secured to position by means of bolts 13 or otherwise. At one end thereof the cross bar 10 is provided with a clevis 14: secured in position by bolts 15 or otherwise, while similarly at the opposite end thereof the cross bar 10 is provided with a clevis16 secured in position by bolts 17 A chain 18is connected atone end in the clevis 14 and adapted at its opposite I end to be connected with a trace forming part of the harness. Likewise at the opp0 invented an Improvement in Draft-Equalizers, of which the 1 animals will. be equalendsgtliereof arespaced of 1 the cross 1 bar Specification of Letters Patent. l 1,1919. Application as rebruai iria s. s eiiaimaiaisa plurality of ll-shaped straps. These {as indicatediare; three iiinumber and are desig natedat 20, 21 and 22.1 The U-shaped strap 21 is pivotallyconnected to a cross bar 10 by meansof a bolt 2401* otherwise, andthis U-shaped strap is connected to the cross bar centrally thereof. The U-shaped strap 20 is pivotally connectedto the cross barby abolt 23 also passing throughthe cross bar and throughtheplates 11 and 12 at a predetermined distancefromthe bolt 21. Ina like manner the U-shaped strap 22 is pivotally connected to the cross bar by a bolt 25 which passes throughythe cross bar and the plates 11 "and 12 atthe same distance from thebolt 24 as is the bolt The outer U-shaped straps20 and 22 are therefore equally place-d fromthe central U-shaped stra 21. These re= piyotally connected to U-shaped straps the crossbar in such positions that the yoke one side Ofthe cross bar. At the otherside fitted at its other end with la roller 26 which is secured in bolt27 or otherwise, and similarly the other m -tad is fitted with a roller 28 secured tive straps with which they are associated by bolts or in any other suitable manner. Connecting and 1 extending between the spools 30, 31 and32 is: alink 33. At its ends this link is turned to fitthe spools 30 and 32,

while centrally it is turned to fit around the spool 31 so as to maintain the U-shaped straps in a fixed relationship to one another, permitting them to swing and causing them tc1 nliaintain a position which is always para le At the yoke end of the U-shaped strap 21 an eye 34 is secured and provided with a book 35 adapted to be connected with an eye appreciably from the U-shaped strap 20 is positiontherein by meansof a 36 secured to a. vehicle diagrammatically indicated at ST'or to any other load, which as will be understood is to be hauled.

In order to advantageously connect the traces forming part of the harness to the apparatus hereinbfore described and in such a way as to equalize the draft by coopera o In the operation of the hereinbefore described device due to the fact that the chains 3.8 and 39 are pennitted to slide on the rollers over which they pass, as well as the fact that the U-shaped straps are connected so as to move in unison, the draft of the vehicle or load to be hauled will be equalized between the animals employed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A whiflletree comprising a cross bar, a plurality of straps placed transversely of the'cross bar extending appreciable distances beyond the sides thereof and pivotally connected thereto, means for connecting one of said jstrapsto the load to be drawn, and means for pivotally connecting all of the said straps to each other at the draft ends thereof.

2. A whifiletree comprising a cross bar, a U-shaped strap pivotally connected to the cross bar centrally thereof, and means for connecting said U-shaped strap to a load to be drawn, outer U-shaped straps also pivotallyconnected to a cross bar at equal distances from the pivotal connection of the aforesaid U-shap'ed strap, and means for Copies of this, patent inay be obtained for pivotally connecting the said U-shaped straps to one another.

3. A whifiietree comprising a cross bar, three U-shaped straps pivotally connected thereto in spaced positions with the corresponding yoke ends of the U-shaped straps extending an appreciable distance beyond one edge of the cross bar and the other ends of the U-shaped straps extending an appreciable distance beyond the other edge of the cross bar, means for connecting the yoke end of the central U-shaped strap to a load to be drawn, a spool mounted in the opposite end of each of the U-shaped straps, and a link pivotally connected to each of the said spools for securing the U-shaped straps together and maintaining the same in parallel positions.

4:. A 'whifiletree comprising a cross bar, three U-shaped straps pivotally connected thereto in spaced positions with the corresponding yoke ends of the U-shaped straps extending an appreciable distance beyond one edge of the cross bar and the other ends of the U-shaped straps extending an appreciable distance beyond the other edge of the cross bar, means for connecting the yoke end of the central U-shaped strap to a load to be drawn, a spool mounted in the opposite end of each of the U-shaped straps, a link pivotally. connected to each of the said spools for securing the U-shaped straps together and maintaining the same in parallel positions, rollers mounted in the ends of the outer U-shaped straps adjacent the said spools, and chains passing over the said rollers.

Signed by me this 2nd day of Feb. 1918.

FRANK A. LYON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

